ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, Aug 24 – Alimenta Bishop, the mother of Grenada’s first left wing prime minister Maurice Bishop, died Saturday. She was 97.
She died without ever getting to know where the remains of her son, who was killed on October 19, 1983, four years after he came to power in the first ever coup in the English-speaking Caribbean.
“Every year I get upset about the same thing,” she had said on numerous occasions, noting that even Jesus Christ was crucified, “his mother was able to get his body to bury, but when I ask what happened to my son, nobody would tell me”.
Her husband had also murdered and Mrs Bishop said that at least she had been able to get the body for a burial. “I could go to the grave and say this is the spot where my husband is buried, but I can’t say that for my son.
“Every time I ask why can’t I get a word about my son’s body, they are saying to forgive. But I am saying how can I forgive when I don’t have results about my son,” she said then.
Maurice Bishop’s death resulted in a United States-led invasion of the island and the body of the former prime minister has never been recovered despite pleas from his family and successive governments.
Bishop’s former deputy, Bernard Coard and several others of the People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG), including Coard’s wife, Phyllis, were sentenced to lengthy jails terms for their roles in Bishop’s death, but were all released a few years ago under new sentencing procedures.
In 2009, Mrs Bishop was among dignitaries present when the then ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) renamed the Point Saline International Airpor, the Maurice Bishop International in memory of her son.
No date has yet been set for the funeral. (CMC)